Top 5 Ways to Beat End of Year Stress

At the end of the year we tend to get introspective. How did our efforts stack up this year? Did we accomplish what we hoped? What will next year look like? It’s a time of inevitable stress but luckily, we have some proven ways to tackle it. We decided to highlight the most highly advised tactics for stopping stress dead in its tracks:

Breathe deeply: The following deep breathing exercise can help to lower stress hormones, lower your heart rate, and bring down your blood pressure. Here’s what you need to do:

Sit quietly with one hand on your stomach, the other on your chest.

Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose, filling your lungs.

Hold your breath for a few seconds.

Breathe out slowly through your mouth until all the air is out of your lungs.

Repeat four more times.

Disconnect from technology: Setting boundaries between personal time and work time allows you to refocus and recharge, without interruption.

Take a Walk: This can not only provide a change in scenery, but an actual change in your body chemistry which can drastically reduce your stress levels.

Have Self-Compassion: Being hard on yourself doesn’t actually help you to perform at your best. Studies have shown that people who are self-compassionate are happier, more optimistic, less anxious and depressed, AND more successful, too.

Hug someone you love: Studies have shown that social support is an effective stress management technique and frequent hugs from a partner can lower our blood pressure.

Make sure to keep these tips in mind throughout the next year. Stress can sneak up on you pretty quickly, and having some go-to coping mechanisms can help you to push through it.